Spider for sucker rods and the like



Sept. 18, 1928.

E. J. SHAFFER SPIDER FOR SUCKER RODS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,974

- E. J. SHAFFER SPIDER FOR SUCKER RODS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnwntoz Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED. STATES V PATENT, OFFICE- nnnnsr J. SHAFFER, or 'rULsA, OKLAHOMA.

SPIDER. roa SUGKER Rons, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed August 28,1926. Serial No. 132,227.

tubing by means of pumping apparatus incorporated in the well rig through the intervention of a string of sucker rods.

This string is made up of rods that are screwed together, and when it becomes necessary to pull the stringforthe purpose of re- I placing worn cups, or because a rod'breaks, or for any other reason, the string 1s lifted by means of an elevator, rodby rod, and

taken apart, in a well known manner.

The device of my invention is used for holding the string suspended in the tubing while the rods are being disjointed and while the elevator is being run down and connected to thenext rod ofthe suspended string preparatory to lifting the string the length of another rod. Heretofore, it has been necessary to use two elevatorsin this work, one to hold thestring while the other elevator is being run down and applied to the next rod, and the handling of these relatively heavy elevators is hard and comparatively slow work. 'Furthermore, when two elevators are. employed, a so-called safety hook has to be used for transferring the hoisting line from one elevator to the other and this hook is a source of. danger. WVith my spider, only one elevator is used and it is always connected to the line, as by means of a suitable safe connection in the nature of a C-hook.

The objects of my invention are to provide a very simple and inexpensive device for holding the string of sucker rods suspended in the well tubing as aforesaid, and that is light and compact and convenient of use and is quick of application to, and removal from, a rod; to provide a device of the aforesaid nature that is very strong and durable and is practically immune from disorder; and to provide a device of said character that can be readily changed for use with rods of difierent diameters.

Embodiments of the invention through which the foregoing objects are realized are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 shows the device in side elevation as applied to the well tubing and as plan View ofthe device holding a string of sucker rods; Fig. 2 is a as shown in Fig. 1 with the sucker rod in section;.Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the device; Fig.4 is a partial planon the same scale as Fig. 3 and showing the slips separated as for application to a rod; Figs. '5 and 6 are, respectively, aperspective view of one of the spider slips and one of the rod slips; Fig. 7

is a horizontal section through the spider. and rod slips showing the means for connecting them together, and Figs. 8 views of modifications.

The spider body is designated 1 and at about its middle is shown as hexagonal in form to provide a wrench receiving portion and 9 are plan 2. AbOXQ this portion. the body is flared upwardly and outwardly, while below said portion the body is reduced in diameter and threadedso that it may be screwed into the upper end of a T 3 that surmounts the well tubing 4. The string of sucker rods which operates in the tubing l is designated 5, and the rods of the string are connected together through the usual couplings or boxes 6. The parts 3, 4 and 5 are common in oil well pump- 1ng equipment. The body 1 has a bore which, at its lower end, is cylindrical, as indicated at 10, and is of ample diameter to permit easy passage of the couplings or boxes 6 of the sucker rods, and above such cylindrical portion thebore is flared upwardly and outward ly to providewhat I shall term a choke 11.

Designed to fitwithinthe choke 11 are opposed spider slips 12 whose lower portions are tapered. to correspond to the flare of the choke. Each spider slip is semi-circular in plan and on its inner face is provided with a semi-cylindrical recess 13 for the reception of a correspondingly shaped rod holding slip 14. The recess 13 of each spider slip 12 is shouldered at its lower end to provide a substantial support for the rod slip, and the latter slip is adapted to be fastened to the former slip by means of a screw 15 which passesfreelythroughan aperture 16 in the a spider slip and is threaded into a tapped hole 17 in the rod slip,

screw. The pipe slips are recessed so as to v the aperture 16 being counterbored to accommodate the head of the form, when said slips are together, a bore designed to receive a rod of given diameter and the surface of the upper portion of said bore is formed with circumferential serra tions 19 which may be either spiral or straight, while the surface of the lower pore to the opposed jaws I opposed spider slips 12 on the side thereof 1 tion to the rod and brings body 1 whereupon the rod tion of such boreiis formed with longitudinal teeth 19, The serrationslt) and teeth 19 greatly enhance the hold otthe device on the rod the former resisting gravitatiomand the latter holding the string against turning during the unscrewing of the joints. By reason of the separable spiden and rod-slip construction just described, rod slips having bores ot' diflierent diameters, adapting them for use with different size rods,cmay be used interchangeably, with the same spider slips.

The spider slips are attached, by screws 20, 21 of a pair of tongs 22 whose handles are designated 23. The jawsQl are normally held apart withitheir handles 23 outwardly'hy means of springs 25 which have their opposite ends contained within recesses 26 that are formed in the adjacent the pivot ot the-tongs 22; r

in the use of the device, Wllfill the string of sucker rods has been elevated toa iposie tionvwherein one of the couplings or boxes- (3 is a suitable distance'above the spider body 1, the operator, holding the tongs by the handles 2-3, presents the slips in operative relathe slips together against-the tension of the springs 25 by pressing the handles 23 toward each other. As

soon as the slips embrace the rod the string is lowered to project the tapered lower end the choke ll of the slips take a firm hold on the rod due to the choke action of the device and the operator may, then release his hold on the handles 23 and turn his attention to unscrewing theadjacentcoupling of the string of rods and applyingthe ele: vator to the string immediately above the device. Alterthe elevator has been connected to the string, the string is lifted to the next joint and just as soon as the string starts upwardly the operator grasps the handles 23 and, holding themyloosely so that they may eeparate, permits the springs 25 to force the jaws apart thereby to release the slips from the rod. T he operator then stands aside with the-tongs in his hand in readiness'to apply the slips to the succeeding rod as soon as the next joint in the string is a proper distance above the spider body.

In themoditication shown in Fig. 8, the tongs are somewhat ditlerent from those of the-previously described form. In the present case, the jaw and handle occurring on the of the spider slips into same side of-the longitudinal axis of the instrument are made integral so that when the handles 23 are moved toward each otherthe jaws 21 areseparated. Acompression spring 25 is interposed between the handles 23* a actsto throw the handles outwardly. In this instance the operatorhhs to-press the ham dles toward each other for the purpose of opening the jaws and applying the instru 7 Havingthus described my invention what I clann is i 1. A device of tliech aracter set forth com- 1 prising a body having a bore, a pair of slips tor engagement within said bore, a pair of tongs comprised oit members that are pivotally connected together intermediate their jaws and handles and to the jaws of which a are connected the aforesaid slips, and a spring interposed between the slips and located lat: erally of the axis of the slips toward the pivotal connection betweenvthe members of the tongs,

2. A device ofthe character set forthcomprising abodyhaving a bore, a pair of slips for engagement within said-bore, a pair of tongs comprised otmembers that are pivotally are connected the aforesaid slips, the opposed slips having substantially aligned recesses located laterally of theaxis of the slips toward of the.tongs,"and a compression spring havconnected: together intermediate their a aws and handlesandto the jaws of which 9 the pivotal connection between the members ing its ends confined withinthe recesses of the opposed slips. i

- 3. A device of thecharacter set forth comprising an integral spider body having abore and provided with a wrench receiving portion intermediate it's ends, the body flaring i V In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailixiny signature. ,q j e a i ERNEST J. SHAFFER.

upwardly'andoutwardly above said portion 

